With the announcement of the appointment, the also reported that the is proceeding as scheduled. The interim arrangement is expected to last no longer than Dec. 31, 2016, and will allow for adequate transition time for EMU’s next president.

“Dr. Snyder is a well-respected administrator and church leader known for her commitment to Mennonite Church USA,” said Carlos Romero, executive director of Mennonite Education Agency and ex-officio member of the search committee. “We are grateful she has accepted this call. She joins a strong group of professionals in the president’s cabinet to carry on the vision of EMU as the search for the long-term presidential appointee moves forward.”

Snyder brings a lifetime of service to Mennonite higher education to the interim role. From 1996 until retiring in 2006, Snyder served as the eighth president of Bluffton (Ohio) University.

Previously, she was vice president and academic dean for 12 years at EMU. Snyder, who holds a doctorate in American and Victorian literature from the University of Oregon, came to EMU in 1974. Until 1982, she taught part-time in the humanities and in English, and was an assistant in the dean’s office. She was named academic dean in 1984 and then assumed the responsibilities of vice president as well in 1987.

After retiring from Bluffton University, Snyder returned to EMU to serve as interim provost for the 2008-09 academic year.

“This arrangement is in many ways the best case scenario,” said Board of Trustees chair Kay Nussbaum. “Our timeline for naming EMU’s next president is on track and an interim arrangement will allow for a smooth leadership transition. In addition, the institution will benefit greatly from the experience and wisdom of Dr. Snyder, who has devoted a lifetime to Mennonite higher education and is uniquely equipped to lead EMU during this interim period.”

A native of Harrisburg, Oregon, Snyder attended EMU for one year and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon. Later she earned a master’s degree in English literature and linguistics from James Madison University and returned to University of Oregon for her doctorate.

Snyder and her husband, Delbert, taught in Nigeria from 1965 to 1968. Her many board and association assignments include: moderator of Mennonite Church USA, chair of the China Educational Exchange Board, chair of the Executive Board of Mennonite Church USA and a member of Mennonite Health Services Alliance Board of Directors. During the 2014-2015 academic year, she served as interim provost at Goshen (Indiana) College. She has also held brief assignments in Asia and Latin America.

Snyder and her husband, who have two adult daughters, now divide their time between Salem, Oregon and Harrisonburg, Virginia. They are members of Community Mennonite Church, in Harrisonburg, and associate members of Salem Mennonite Church in Salem.

“One of the most important tasks of the [EMU and MEA] boards is the appointment of a president,” said MEA board chair Judy Miller. “The charge to the committee is to create a presidential position profile informed by multiple perspectives including existing statements of strategic direction for the university. The committee will review the position profile with both the EMU and MEA boards and promote the position in order to generate a broad range of candidates. Committee work will culminate in recommendation of a candidate of choice to the EMU and MEA boards.”

Andy Dula, president of the EMU Board of Trustees, said, “I am grateful for the diversity of life experiences and perspectives represented by this committee. I am confident that the search committee, led by trustee Evon Bergey, will recommend a president ideally suited for leading and expanding EMU’s mission to educate students to serve and lead in the global context.”

The committee includes:

• Evon Bergey, current EMU board member and chair of the search committee, Perkasie, Pennsylvania. Bergey is Vice President, Operations Public Sector, .
• Shana Peachey Boshart, EMU board member, Wellman, Iowa. Boshart is conference minister for Christian formation, youth ministry, congregational resources and communications for .
• Steve Brenneman, founder and CEO of , Goshen, Indiana. Brenneman is a graduate of EMU and parent of an incoming EMU student. Brenneman previously served on the board of and as an EMU associate trustee.
• Hannah Chappell-Dick, EMU student, Bluffton, Ohio. This fall, Chappell-Dick will be a senior in the EMU Honors Program with a major in biology.
• , PhD., professor at EMU and former academic dean, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Heisey served as president of Mennonite World Conference from 2003-2009.
• Basil Marin, MEA board member, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Marin is a graduate of . He serves as a pastor for , a member congregation of .
• Cedric A. Moore, Jr., chief executive officer of the , Richmond, Virginia. Moore is an EMU graduate and serves as vice-president of the EMU Alumni Council.
• J. Richard Thomas, superintendent of , Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Thomas is a former EMU board member and former moderator for .
• , PhD., EMU professor of , Harrisonburg, Virginia. Sawin is the director of the EMU Honors Program and serves as a member of the Regional Chapters Committee of the American Studies Association.
• Roy Williams, MEA board member, Tampa, Florida. Williams is a retired bank executive, the pastor of and former moderator of Mennonite Church USA.
• Carlos Romero, executive director of Mennonite Education Agency, Goshen, Indiana. Romero is an ex-officio member of the search committee.

The Presidential Search Committee is responsible to both the EMU board and the MEA board. “The 10 search committee members, selected by MEA and EMU board with faculty and student nominations were selected to ensure a wide representation of the voice of the stakeholders,” said Evon Bergey, chair of the search committee. “The committee will work to discern the leadership needs for 草莓社区, keeping closely in mind the unique contributions that EMU as a church institution has made – past, present and future – to the church, the local community and the world.”

Carlos Romero, executive director of MEA and ex-officio member of the search committee, said, “I believe the committee is well-equipped to search for and recommend a president for EMU who will help lead the institution into the future. The breadth of experience and deep commitment to EMU and Mennonite Church USA is a precious gift that each of the committee members brings to the endeavor.” Romero noted that at the first meeting in July, the committee will lay the groundwork for the search process and refine the presidential profile.

Editor’s note: Anne Kaufman Weaver ’88 was added to the committee after publication of this article. Weaver is from Brownstown, Pennsylvania, and works as a leadership coach with Coaching Connection. Weaver has served, along with her husband, Dr. Todd Weaver, on the Science Campaign Steering Committee. She will graduate in 2016 with a master’s in divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

The November 2013 board decision to suspend personnel actions related to the current hiring policy will remain in effect as discernment continues.

In offering his public appreciation to and his leadership team, Andy Dula, chair of the EMU Board of Trustees, said, “I am proud to be part of EMU, a university where contentious issues can be engaged with mutual respect and with Christian discernment and compassion. We are extremely grateful for President Swartzendruber’s leadership during this challenging time.”

“The process was consistent with how the church engages in discernment around difficult issues,” said Carlos Romero, executive director of .

The president’s cabinet invited a wide range of constituents – including students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, church leaders – to fill out survey forms giving their views on the hiring policy. “More than 7,000 people responded to our survey,” according to BJ Miller, director of institutional research.

In addition, 20 “dialogue sessions,” including approximately 300 individuals on campus, were held. At least one president’s cabinet member was present at each session to listen and anonymously report perspectives to the rest of the cabinet. The president and cabinet members also engaged leaders across the church.

“The listening process was extremely valuable in enabling the president’s cabinet to gain a deeper understanding of the range of feelings, hopes and fears about extending university employment to persons in same-sex covenanted relationships,” added Dula.

“Based on this feedback, we acknowledge that the church is currently engaged in extensive discernment over human sexuality. We wish to honor our relationship with the church by not taking a final action now on changing EMU’s hiring policy.”

According to Swartzendruber, “We solicited feedback through the listening process, not because it is a democratic process but because we felt it was important to hear from those who care deeply about EMU.”

Swartzendruber confirmed that views proved to be highly divergent and often passionate, regardless of the stance. “We never expected to see consensus on this matter,” said Swartzendruber. “We were hoping for respectful dialog, and indeed this is what we saw within our university community. Internally there was a consistent theme of wanting to maintain unity in spite of our diversity on these and other important issues.

“EMU’s role as a university is to grapple with the difficult questions of our time,” he said. “From the beginning, we bathed this process in prayer, seeking God’s guidance. We also received encouragement from numerous church leaders and members to stay engaged with the Mennonite Church as we wrestle with these questions.”

Dula said the board has no definite timetable for making a final hiring policy decision. “Many of us from EMU will participate in the Mennonite Church USA’s continuing discussions on human sexuality – we’ll consider what emerges in the wider church in making our plans,” he said.

The board’s official statement, passed by a strong majority vote on June 20, 2014:

We reaffirm EMU’s mission—to prepare students to serve and lead in a diverse global society—and EMU’s role as a university that fully engages the difficult questions of our time and welcomes diverse perspectives and experiences into the conversation. Out of respect for EMU’s relationship with Mennonite Church USA and its ongoing discernment of human sexuality, we defer action on formally changing EMU’s policy on hiring employees in covenanted same-sex relationships. The November 2013 board decision to suspend personnel actions related to the current hiring policy will remain in effect as the discernment process continues.

In their kick-off convocation remarks for the 2013-14 school year, the top leaders of 草莓社区 stressed the importance of embracing each other within the EMU community, appreciating the gifts and diversity that each student, staffer and faculty member brings to this community of mutual learners.

Addressing a capacity crowd of 900 in Lehman Auditorium on Aug. 28, declared “you belong at EMU” as a curtain-raiser for remarks by and Carlos Romero, executive director of , the oversight board for EMU and other church-affiliated educational institutions.

“Whoever you are, student, faculty, or staff – whatever knowledge, wisdom, and experience you bring – you belong at this table, you are welcome in this community, your voice is needed in our conversation,” said Kniss.

He said that love is the most basic characteristic of God, “a God who welcomes the stranger, a God who tells each of us ‘you belong.’

“Thank you, each one of you, for joining this community and for contributing your gifts to our mutual quest, a great adventure we call ‘learning,’” Kniss said.

Romero, who was born in Puerto Rico and has spent years in Mennonite Church roles fostering intercultural competency and the dismantling of racism, introduced Swartzendruber as an educational leader with a remarkable track record, including the last 10 years at the helm of EMU.

Swartzendruber opened with a personal example of a way that individuals can be made to feel different, as if they don’t completely “belong.” His parents raised three sons, with Swartzendruber being the first-born and the youngest also being their biological child. The middle son was adopted and did not physically resemble his older and younger brothers, which people sometimes thoughtlessly commented upon.

“In a certain kind of way each of us is adopted into this particular community we call EMU,” said Swartzendruber. “And every one of us has a deep yearning to belong. The question is, How can each of us behave in such a way as to extend ‘belonging’ to each other?”

The answer, said Swartzendruber, is to apply any version of the “Golden Rule” that is advocated by the major religions of the world.

In Christianity, the rule is stated in Luke 6:31, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Using PowerPoint slides, Swartzendruber put up quotations with a similar message from the traditions of Judaism, Islam, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

In some instances, the sentiment was approached from the point of view of the other person, as in “Don’t cause someone to feel pain that you would not want to feel yourself.”

As is the custom at EMU, convocation also marked an emotional send-off for groups heading overseas for their required cross-cultural study experience. A group of 20 heading to Spain and Morocco and a group of 16 going to China were dispatched with prayers for safe travels and a transformational experience.

New students, faculty and staff were given EMU’s traditional “Shenandoah Welcome,” in which they walked between two rows of hand-clapping community members, as Appalachian bluegrass music played over a loudspeaker.

Carlos Romero, executive director of this churchwide ministry, says, "The church’s commitment to racial/ethnic education remains strong. And young people want to learn and to prepare to serve the church. That’s the good news. The bad news is that a giving deficit continues. We are unable to take on new students. We must turn people away from programs that have the potential to change lives."

MEA administers Racial/Ethnic Leadership Education (RELE) programs on behalf of the church. These programs — operated in partnership with African-American Mennonite Association, Iglesia Menonita Hispana, Native Mennonite Ministries, 草莓社区, Goshen College and Hesston College — have struggled with funding deficits in recent years.

This story from , who was supported in her education through RELE’s LARK (Leaders Aspiring to Receive Knowledge) Scholarship Program, illustrates how RELE and the church’s congregations and educational institutions work together to build leaders:

"I remember the article that I wrote for LARK News after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in social work from 草莓社区 in 1997. It was titled, ‘God Has a Plan!’ I quoted my favorite scripture from Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’

"Today I say these words again with even more confidence, trust and unwavering faith … God has a plan!

"After graduating from EMU, I continued to serve as a resident director and graduate assistant in the office. I implemented and facilitated programs for the campus community that addressed the importance of diversity, racial understanding and reconciliation. I also led the peer mentoring program and a support group for women of color.

"In 1998 I returned to New York and served as the worship leader and cabinet chairperson at my church, Seventh Avenue Mennonite. I was accepted into the Advance Standing Program at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Work, and also began working full time at Marymount College, an all-women’s college in Tarrytown, New York. This experience was a true blessing.

"In 2000, I graduated from Fordham with a master’s in social work. I then started work at Edwin Gould Academy in Chestnut Ridge, New York, a residential treatment facility for emotionally disturbed adolescents from New York City.

"This experience was my biggest challenge and my greatest reward. The Lord strengthened my ministry and used me to lead each and every one of the girls in my house to accept Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. The painful stories of their lives and families that I heard over and over again during our group counseling sessions was sometimes horrific, overwhelming and too much to bear.

"Through the difficult times I remembered that God said in Isaiah 61, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to comfort all that mourn, to give unto them the beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.’

"God had a plan for these girls!

"In 2002, I served at New York Foundling Hospital in the South Bronx as a social work supervisor for special needs children and youth in foster care. I strove to make a positive difference and show the love of Christ in a system that sometimes seemed uncaring and cruel.

"In July of 2003, God brought me full circle; back to serve at EMU as director of Multicultural Services. Through this position, I have the opportunity to assist and empower AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American) students to succeed at EMU academically, socially and spiritually and to make a positive difference as student leaders. I also am blessed to continue the mission to encourage diversity on campus and provide a bridge of reconciliation, faith, truth and hope.

"As I reflect on my many experiences since 1997, I give thanks to my home congregation, Seventh Avenue Mennonite Church, and to LARK Scholarship Program for all of the support throughout my undergraduate and graduate education. I was able to be well equipped and empowered to step out on faith, reach my goals and fulfill the vision that God has for my life.

"I pray that through your continued support, many others like me will be given the chance to make a difference in their communities, become equipped to fulfill their purpose and show the light and love of God wherever they go. May the plan of the Lord prevail as we believe in faith for his provisions!"

Romero said this is a moment of great promise and opportunity for racial/ethnic education in the church. "But even as we prepare for the future, we face today’s funding needs."

If you wish to give to racial/ethnic education in Mennonite Church USA, please contact MEA at 63846 County Road 35, Suite 1, Goshen, IN 46528-9621; info@MennoniteEducation.org; 866-866-2872 (toll free).